Manchester City Re-sign Gerónimo Rulli as Trafford Replacement

Manchester City have moved quickly to reshape their goalkeeping department, bringing back Argentina international Gerónimo Rulli from Marseille on a two-year deal.

The 34-year-old has signed a contract until June 2028, with City paying around £1.7m for the experienced keeper. He will take the No.28 shirt at the Etihad, stepping in as James Trafford’s replacement after the England goalkeeper’s switch to Leeds.

A familiar face, finally ready for the Etihad

Rulli’s name is not new to City fans. He spent the 2016/17 season on the club’s books, but never made a first-team appearance before moving on. That first spell felt like a footnote. This one carries far more weight.

He returns as a seasoned campaigner, hardened by years across Europe’s top leagues. Real Sociedad in La Liga, Montpellier in Ligue 1, Villarreal in Spain again, Ajax in the Netherlands, then Marseille – Rulli has seen just about every kind of challenge a goalkeeper can face.

Big nights and bigger medals

On the international stage, the Argentine has eight caps and a place in history. He was part of the Argentina squads that lifted the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América, adding glittering medals to an already rich CV.

English fans, though, might remember him best for one particular night. In 2021, in Gdańsk, Rulli stood at the heart of Villarreal’s dramatic Europa League final triumph over Manchester United. His performance in that marathon penalty shootout etched his name into the competition’s folklore.

Now he returns to Manchester with those memories, those trophies and that composure under pressure – this time not as a prospect, but as a proven winner walking back through the Etihad doors.